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Essig, David - Declaration Day

Format: CD
Label: Appaloosa AP 154
Year: 2002
Origin: Frederick, Md, USA - Huntsville, Ontario
Genre: folk, traditional, country, roots, blues
Keyword: 
Value of Original Title: 
Make Inquiry/purchase: email ryder@robertwilliston.com
Release Type: Albums
Websites:  No
Playlist:

Tracks

Track Name
Declaration Day
Fair Days
The Old Account
Three Weeks Home
The Wild Girl
Your Mother’s Shoes
Keep Your Lamp Trimmed
The Phone
White Dove
Hot Time in the Old Town - Too Many Moments of Silence

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Information/Write-up

David Essig's new CD, Declaration Day, is an exciting blend of original songs and traditional roots music - served up with David's trademark gutsy vocal delivery and burning slide guitar. For his 19th album project, David delivers 6 brand new original songs, a reworking of one of his early classics, and a generous helping of the blues.
Over the thirty years of his career in Canada and around the world, David's songwriting has always been marked by a certain sense of thoughtfulness and a depth of emotion - Declaration Day certainly holds true to this pattern. The opening title cut is a complex and multi-layered story of despair and eventual redemption. This sets the tone for the ret of the CD as David moves from evocative country-tinged ballads like Fair Days, and Your Mother's Shoes, to the Sacred Steel influenced traditional blues of The Old Account and White Dove - all firmly planted in that classic Canadian roots sound.

David Essig created Declaration Day primarily in his new studio on Thetis Island, in British Columbia, Canada. For half the tunes on the project, he moved the recording equipment to southern Alberta to record the bed tracks with legendary Canadian blues sidemen: bassist James "Suitcase" Stanley and drummer Kevin Belzner. Recorded in an old movie theatre in the small town of High River, these trio sessions capture the plaintive, lonesome sound of the blues - David calls it "that Skip James meets Houndog Taylor sound."

David then recorded the remainder of the bed tracks and did all of the overdubs and mixing back at his studio on Thetis Island. He played and sang all of the parts himself, taking advantage of the prodigious technical capabilities of the Yamaha Digital recording system in his new studio. As a surprising twist, David added Sacred Steel flavoured parts to several of the tunes, capturing that Campbell Brothers sound on his vintage Fender steel guitar.

Declaration Day is a landmark album in a career that spans over 30 years of performing and recording. David Essig has won audiences around the world with his unique blend of original songs and traditional blues and country. "It's like I've got Muddy on one shoulder and Bill Monroe on the other, and they're both whispering in my ears: 'keep it simple, son - keep it real simple."

One advance reviewer has already called Declaration Day "a triumph…with stunning poetic images and finely-drawn narratives." Page Two

Words and Music by David Essig, © Peregrin Songs, SOCAN
On Songs 3b, 6, 7, 8, 9 Kevin Belzner: Drums James "Suitcase" Stanley": Bass David Essig: Guitars and Vocals

On Songs 1, 2. 3a, 4, 5, 10 David Essig: All Instruments and Vocals

Produced by David Essig Recorded by David Essig (Thetis Island, BC) and David Horroks (Alberta)

Contacts:
Europe: Umberto Tonello, Cuneo, Italy (171-603120, 171-66329)
North America: Gary Cristall, Vancouver, BC (604-215-9077) garycristall@telus.net
David Essig
david@davidessig.com

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